A New Framework That Predicts AI's Impact On Old IP and New IP
Why "flattening" favors Open/New IP over legacy models—and why nostalgia for Old IP has a half life that AI is accelerating
I realized after posting last Thursday’s video that there is a simple, game theory-type framework lurking in the background.
The game is “flattening”—meaning, AI tools and digital video platforms are collapsing financial, legal and technical barriers to entry:
In production, AI is 'flattening' content creation by expanding the creator base from a few skilled professionals to anyone with internet access
In distribution, any content creator can game YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other algorithms to find new audiences.
Within this “flattening”, AI is creating four distinct competitive scenarios for content creation. This 2x2 grid maps the strategic choices facing creators and IP holders as 'flattening' collapses traditional barriers
In hindsight, I probably should have structured the presentation around this grid. So this is a short essay to help explain the grid. It also highlights why "Open/New IP" is the most likely market outcome—for now—because "flattening" inevitably drives content creation toward open, democratized platforms with original content.
